The Junta's 275th Infantry Battalion stationed in Myawaddy Township Karen State, was seized by the resistance joint forces led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) on April 10, resulting in significant casualties among Junta troops and prompting many to flee.
KNLA-led joint forces launched a robust offensive against the battalion base on April 9, seizing it by nightfall the following day, frontline sources said. When the battle ended, many troops from the Junta's 275th Infantry Battalion were reported dead or injured. Other soldiers are reported to have fled across the border into Thailand.
Two other Myawaddy -based battalions had already surrendered to the KNLA-led resistance with over 600 soldiers and families. In a statement posted to its social media channels, the KNU reported that 477 military personnel surrendered at the Junta’s main base in Thanganyinaung, in addition to 140 family members.
Myawaddy residents reported that following the capture of the final base, the situation remained calm from the night of April 10 until the morning of April 11, with no further fighting.
Earlier, the Junta dispatched reinforcements to prevent Myawaddy from falling into the hands of the resistance forces. The reinforcement convoy is currently stationed at Kyondoe with no prospect of any further advance, locals reported.
After the Junta had already lost control of areas along Myanmar's borders with Bangladesh, China and India with Myanmar's resistance forces in control of almost all border trading posts.
Now with this loss of military control over the hugely- important Myawaddy- Mae Sot border trade, observers are calling this a stunning blow to the credibility and viability of the post- coup regime.
This defeat is bound to have a wide- spectrum of repercussions including economic, trade and could challenge long-standing assumptions of Asean ’s Myanmar diplomacy. Until recently both western and Asean diplomats had assumed the path of conflict resolution had to include the Junta as part of a negotiated solution. Now the NUG and EAOs vision of a Junta-free future becomes an increasingly realistic scenario.
Myawaddy is the most important land border for the importation of Thai goods to such major cities as Yangon and Mandalay. According to figures from the junta’s Ministry of Commerce cited by Myanmar Now, the value of trade through Myawaddy between April 2023 and February 2024 fell by more than 40 % compared to the same period the year before, from $1.87 billion to $1.085 billion.
Thai border officials are on the alert but have stated that the Mae Sot border will remain open to receive thousands more refugees, as well as Myanmar soldiers and their families who wish to be repatriated from Mae Sot to Myanmar.
Given the Thai and Myanmar New Year, the issue of establishing a new border control on the Myanmar side opposite Mae Sot and full resumption of trade is likely to be resolved until the end of the holiday period.
